About Game Development

If you’re passionate about gaming, and have a talent for developing game-play concepts and understanding game mechanics, this course will give you the fundamental skills you need to kick-start your career.

At JMC Academy, we believe in teaching all of the fundamentals of game design.
Here, you will learn how to design, develop and implement an idea, with emphasis on creativity and expression through concept creation, digital drawing, environment modelling and game engine implementation.

To ensure you graduate with the skills demanded by leading developers, you will gain hands-on expertise in leading industry software like Maya and the Unity game engine. By working together in teams to create interactive game prototypes and quality game assets, you will also be able to exercise your job-readiness in a particular specialty.

For anyone passionate about becoming a world builder and storyteller, this course if for you.

Diploma of Creative Arts (Game Design)

This Diploma is focused on giving you the fundamental skills you need for a career in game development from the ground up. This includes hands-on concept drawing, environment modelling, digital sculpting, rigging and game engine implementation.

You will begin to understand the core components of visual narrative and games design and will adopt a range of rich, diverse and expressive animation techniques which you'll develop into sophisticated outcomes.

A solid foundation in game art development practice will provide you with the perfect platform upon which to deepen your critical level of knowledge and understanding in the Bachelor.

Bachelor of Creative Arts (Game Design)

This Bachelor Degree follows contextual studies in art history, traditional art practice and animation and the development of art concepts and design documents for games. You will learn about game play and interactivity through digital sculpture, game engine technology and the creation of professional assets for real-time environments.

After an introduction to game engine scripting and the core technical knowledge required to create interactive game play, you will use leading games development software to design and create interactive game worlds. You will become capable of creating life-like animated characters and environments, as well as developing unique game-play mechanics.

In your final trimesters, you will learn a number of sophisticated skills including character rigging, visual scripting for games engines and motion capture for real-time games animation and cinematics. You will produce a games concept in a process that emulates real-world production, and will also develop a show reel, to help you when you enter the workforce.

"This course was well worth the time. I am able to develop industry standard work while knowing how to professionally present myself to potential clients. The course material is very current."

Jessie Lee | Game Development student

Faqs

Is the Game Development course more focused on design or development?

The Game course is primarily focussed on art and design, but we recognise that a familiarity with scripting and programming in implementing ideas is a key part of the skillset of a game artist, and you will certainly learn skills in those areas as well.

The emphasis is on understanding the theory behind games, designing interesting challenges, mechanics, concepts and stories, and creating the art and assets for those concepts. You would be studying a mix of art and design, software and programming skills, and theoretical concepts.

I have no experience in making games (although I have played many). Will I be able to do well in the Game Development course?

You don’t have to come with existing skills – it’s handy if you have them but not essential. It’s your compulsion to create, story tell, and complete tasks that we’re really looking for, and we teach the course from beginner level up so you're in good hands.

What software programs will I use in the Game Development course?

Applications used in the Game Development course include Maya for modelling and animation, Mudbox and 3DCoat for digital sculpture. Unity Pro will be your core game Engine and you'll work with Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign and After Effects. You will also have the chance to try a range of other packages such as RealFlow and Fusion.

Are there any work experience/internship opportunities specific to the Game Development course?

While the availability of internships and work placements depends on the individual companies and studios in the industry, we have strong relationships with many practising game designers and game studios. As a result of these connections there is the potential for you to experience internships and placements, studio visits, talks and workshops by industry practitioners, and assessment feedback opportunities from industry people during dedicated 'speed networking' nights. Where practical, interviews will be arranged for individual graduating students with companies seeking to recruit new talent.